Lee Daniels is about to begin work on his first film since 2013. And for his upcoming drama, it appears that he’s going to tackle one of the biggest names in music history.
Deadline is reporting that Daniels is set to begin filming of “The United States vs. Billie Holiday” soon, and he’s already lined up his cast for the film. As you might gather from the title, the new drama is about the life and career of music legend Billie Holiday. ‘Billie Holiday’ is said to focus on the time when the singer was targeted by the Federal Department of Narcotics’ sting operation, led by a man that Holiday had an affair with.
Singer-songwriter Andra Day is said to be playing Holiday in the film. She’s set to be joined by actors Trevante Rhodes, Garrett Hedlund, and Natasha Lyonne in the cast. Rhodes is probably best known for his work in the two recent films “Moonlight” and “Bird Box.” Hedlund is an actor that has been on the cusp of big things for years, starring in films like “Tron Legacy” and the recent “Triple Frontier.” Lyonne, of course, is probably best known nowadays for her roles on the series “Orange is the New Black” and “Russian Doll.”
“It is an extraordinary responsibility to tell the story of the iconic Billie Holiday,” said Daniels. “Her story is very personal to me and I hope to do justice when bringing to light this profound and complicated soul — a great artist and an unsung civil rights warrior.”
As mentioned, “The United States vs. Billie Holiday” is the first film from Daniels since the 2013 project “The Butler.” He’s probably best known for his Oscar-nominated work on the film “Precious.” Daniels also directed for projects like “The Paperboy,” as well as the FOX series “Empire.”
A release date for “The United States vs. Billie Holiday” has yet to be announced, but Daniels is expected to begin filming next month.
